Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-20

| tired TO aer own tent, WHICH WAS plLcleQ
at some distance from the rest-as usual,
retiring amid their wild cheers and hur-
rahs-it was determined by them to have
grand jubilee. Captain Jack
mad by some means become
the master of 8 quantity of
| LIQUOR, and as they had an abundant sup
ply of food, a,supper and debauch was to
| be the event of their last night in the
Lone Star State.
In this they were not likely to be dis
turbed by Ada; for she, fstigued with 9
weary and rapid ride of many leagues, cast
herself down to slumber, leaving orders
| that she should be awakened at dawn.
Such men as those who composed
Malerson's gang sre generally coarse and
sensual in their entire organization
their animal appetites are all they have to
crafty; mental pleasures are to them IN
known. A gluttonlsh supper, in this case,
was followed by drinking, in the course of
which many wild story of rapine and
crime was told and received with raptu-
rous applause, and many licentious
song sung, TOO obscene to ever darken a
page which emanstes from my pen.
The night wore on, and with each hour
the reYelry grew higher-madder. But
those who were the weakest alOft began
| to feel the fumes of the liquor in their
upper stories, snd to topple down into
! scottish slumber where they drank. Others
rose and staggered away to their quar-
tiers, where they also sunk down into the
| helplessness of inebriation. 1t was not
until after midnight, if so late, when
! Captain Malerson, who prided himself on
| his spirit-holding capacity, found him
| self alone st the rude table.
"Well," said ne, in soliloquy, "here /
am, alone in my glory. 1t is astonishing
how quick some fellows keel Up when
they're drinking. A quart lays 'em out
as stiff as logs; but 2 gallon don't knock
my underpinning away it OHly makes me
little more deVilish than usual-.hat's
all. l feel just like doing something bold
and satanic yet tonight. | believe I'll 90
| and visit hattie and borrow g thousand or
so of the old girl"
! With the Captain bad idea was not
allowed to rest long before it was put into
execution. And wrapping himself in a
serape he moved away in the darkness
and gloom toward the plantation-aoing
on foot so as to make less noise than he
would on horseback.
CHAPTER LY.
in the hours of morning-and yet Mrs =
! Delorme had not retired to rest. She had
become almost g shadow of her former
seIf-nervous, fretful, wretched and IN
happy. Strange faIcies, that the love of
her husband had changed TO hate: fears
that her passion for Lagona had been dis
covered and that continual dread that
Malerson would continue to annoy her,
and eventually reveal the secret which he
| held in terror over her head-alI these
things combined to render existence TO
her burden rather than pleasure.
The custom very prevalent in the south
and ever such in France-of having a
chamber separate from that of her hus-
| band-sn idea which should have occurred
| to the unfortunate Mr.. Caudle-slOne
prevented Mr.. Delorme from learning the
state of feeling TO which his unfortunate
wife had been reduced. He, however,
paid but little attention to her altered
appearance, or if he did he probably at
| tributed it to the cause which made him
| so miserSble-the loss of his almost
worshipped daughter.
To and fro-iretting and moaning
paced the unhappy woman at the hour
which we have named. Suddenly q noise
was heard upon the piazza outside of the
| chamber window, and the next instant
the form Of g man, who had assembled
| from below by some grape vines which
were trained over the lattice work, met
her eye. She was on the point of scream
| ing and giving an larm, when he step
ped boldly through an open window into
the room, and she recognized John Nal
erson, her greatest dread and terror.
Sinkingh pale and almost fainting, into
g chair, she hoerseIy whispered:
"FOrA eave1ts sake, man, WhYi5do you
come here ?--why do you torment me Pr
| And she trembled yet ,tReAfnore when
she sew, by:his flushed fseefFeddened eye
and stsggegigs gsistast he was intozi-
& "Don't make fuss, or get scared, old
ffgirl. I've come to seeyou a bit" said
/ he, in the thick, husky tone which always
\ indicates intoxieation. "You see, I'm
goin' off in the mornin', and l wanted
to say good-by to ye, just for old times
sake. Lerdee, how you did love me oncel
Comes gives kiss on the strength o.
that! Come, no hangin' back"
And he staggered toward her. 3
"Stand back, Jack Malerson-stand
back, or your life is not worth q strawa
will scream, and bring those here who
will not wait to ask why you came before
they punish your audacity."
The attitude of the lady as she sprung
to her feet, and the low, determined tone
in which she spoke, for moment ebashed
the ruftisn. and he paused.
"Sit ye down, old gall" said he, after
moments hesitation. "Sit ye down and
have talk with your old Jack. He
won't trouble you if you'll he quiet"
And he took 8 seat, and seemed more So
Der than when ne entered the room. Mrs.
DeiOrme also sat down, for she was too
weak to remain upon her feet.
"Ssy what you have to say quickly and
begone!" she whispered again.
az am so dry | must wet my whistle
before 1 try to talk" said the rutfian,
taking his flask from his pocket any ap-
plying it to his lips. After taking so
hearty draaght he offered the flask to
her, saying: Hadn't you better take
some, Hat, just to steady your nerves?
You look pale. l reckon the old gent
don't feed you overly and above common
WE'LL"
eyes, give me the liquor!" she said,
hoarsely, as she clutched the flask. ''I
need strength, for there is a rough, wild
path before me, and L know that 1 must
tread it,"
She drained the flask to the very bot
tom, while ne looked on in stupid won
der.
"That'n make you as drunk as the boys
l Just left" said he, as she cast the
empty flask upon the floor.
"It will give me strength to defy you,
yOutheartleSs villain to tell Won that /